Short Short's
by To the Redwoods
Summary: Just a collection of short unconnected one shots that I had to get out of my head. No real rhyme or reason, just random characters and ideas. Ch. 4 Stranger
1. Man of Action

_A/N: These were all written in a notebook found on my desk. I guess I've been scribbling ideas longer then I realized. Hehe. Anyway, now presenting, Ruby's Drabble/One-Shot Archive! Look forward to lots of characters and randomness I suppose. _

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Man of Action:

"I suppose I could move the white tiger to make room for the miniature elephant." Dixon Bainbridge thought to himself as he surveyed his lavish office. "Or perhaps I could place the three headed giraffe beside the albino polar bear. Choices, choices."

The man of action's thick fingers stroked his glorious silver grey moustache thoughtfully. Reorganizing his office always took such ample amounts of brain power, not that he had any shortage of said power. He sank into his leather desk chair and his mind began to drift as his eyes got lost in those of the white tiger skin rug on the plush velvet office carpeting.

"I am an amazing person. A real man of action." He thought to himself, nodding accordingly. "I don't know what this world would do without me. Hm.. I suppose it would simply crumble. It would be crushed beneath the weight of problems I bear on my own shoulders for it. Yes, my broad perfect shoulders are all the world can truly rely on. Without me, Dixon Bainbridge present there's no doubt in my mind the world would simply fall to its knees under the sheer weight of all I carry for all of Earth's citizens."

A small self satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Bainbridge stood and with long regal strides, crossed his office to stand in front of the window over looking the Zooniverse.

"Without me all of this would be gone. Incinerated by enemies from other worlds, kept at bay by my reputation alone. Terrifying and violent invaders who have no doubt heard of my prowess in the field of adventuring." He set his hands on his hips and admired his own reflection in the window. "Without my reputation keeping these hostile invaders away, the people of earth would be helpless. Without my well known tales from the jungle, arctic, mountains, plains, deserts and damn well any other place I choose to adventure to this world would fast be invaded by marauding creatures from far away worlds." He nodded. Nothing he thought was anything less then fact. Truly he was the planets first and only line of defense.

"Ma-Bainbridge? It's Bobby Bob Bob. There's a problem with the Stretchy Leaf Eaters." Fossil poked his head into the door and smiled sheepishly.

Conquests would have to wait. For now, the Zooniverse and his useless staff needed him. "Cant you do anything Fossil? I'm coming."


	2. April Fools Day

_A/N: Hey guys. This ones short and I was thinking about it in math class today. Yay first day of school.. Not. -_-_

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April Fools Day:

The flat was quiet. Awkwardly quiet. The TV was turned off and no one was walking around. Naboo sat on the couch between a very angry Howard and an even angrier Vince. He figured the silence had set in sometime between Howard's jazz records disappearing under mysterious circumstances and Vince's shampoo being replaced by red hair dye.

The pranks had escalated quickly over the course of only a few hours and to be entirely honest, Naboo was enjoying the silence. Both Howard and Vince had tried to get the shaman to play for their side, both knowing his magic working for them could win the battle of pranks once and for all.

Out of nowhere, Vince crossed his arms then spoke. "You took it too far when you touched my hair Howard."

"If you hadn't touched my records, I wouldn't have had to touch your hair Vince." Howard answered without turning to his friend.

Vince glared at the mustached man, his brain cell already trying to think of what he could do next. This was obviously not going to be over quickly.

Naboo sighed and stood up. "You're both idiots."


	3. The Key

_A/N: Back to Boosh at last. Life needs to stop for about a day and a half and give me time to do something other then school. Thanksgiving Break is fast approaching though and that means late nights to lurk the internet as well as type until my fingers bleed.. That is if I don't get distracted by a million other ideas.. -_-_

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The Key:

Miss Giddeon held a key in her hand. Her eyes started intently at the shiny surface as she turned it over again. She couldn't remember where the key had come from or what she was supposed to do with it. Had Fossil given her something to do? The simpleton probably hadn't told her anything if he had. She rolled her eyes and continued to focus on the metal object. Someone had given it to her for something, that much she knew.

"I really don't even remember where this came from." She huffed in frustration.

"Well I don't see how I can help any, seein' as how I wasn't there when you were given the key." Joey Moose, resident Australian keeper spoke up from the seat beside her on the bench.

"Hm.." She crossed her legs. "I just know. I was supposed to do something with this, but I can't seem to remember anything at all."

Joey Moose leaned towards the key, trying to recall if it matched any of the animal cages he would recognize.

It was at this time when Vince Noir, self declared king of the mods, happened to stroll by. He stopped at rose an eyebrow at the sight of the two zoo keepers staring at a key. With a chuckle he pointed at the item. "Howard gave you the key to the keepers cabin huh?"

Giddeon looked up. "Oh. Yes. Yes he did."

With another Laugh, Vince's hand returned to his pocket. "Guess he really didn't want to be stuck with cleaning the place up. See you around." He smiled and continued on his way.

After a moment, Miss Giddeon turned to Joey. "Who is Howard? And when did I get this key?"


	4. Stranger

_A/N: So I wrote this all up with no intention of ever posting it. To be entirely honest I even wrote this authors note saying to myself, why are you bothering, no one's ever going to read this. Why are you still writing like someone is reading this other than yourself? What are you doing? Well clearly I've worked up the nerve by now .. Basically I haven't been writing anything at all lately, and then I've missed by boys more than anyone understands I think.. And had to write something about how sad I've been in their absence. I think I'll apologize in advance for the mild angst.. and then I'll just leave this here.. _

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It was strange, she mused as she observed the room she'd been in been in countless times before, how she felt like she had never been there before at all. It was quiet she noted, for once. Everyone must have been out. Her eyes lingered on each of the cluttered shelves, as if they were brand new. There was something that felt unfamiliar about the place, even though she had spent hours upon hours there. Even though she had seen everything to see in the small space and even though it had become like her home through all the time she had spent there. However despite this, she felt like she didn't belong, as though the place wouldn't welcome her back, as though the good times had here had been forgotten and she was a stranger in the place and those who belonged here would have forgotten her by now. That or if they did remember, they would hate her for abandoning them.

She took a deep breath of the almost glittering air, remembering everything it meant to be there. In that room, with these things and the people who belonged here and regretted every moment she'd chosen not to come back. Her heart broke at each chance she had had but ignored to come here and relive the moments that had filled her with joy for something else.

She knew she should have come back before she had become a stranger in this place. She knew she should have acted on the need to return to the family she could pretend was hers and the people she had grown to love and know almost as well as herself, but she hadn't. Now she had a heavy heart and a knowledge of things lost.

Molly knew she didn't belong here anymore. It had been too long since she had called this place home. It had been a lifetime it seemed since she called the people whose home it was family, and she couldn't come back without them hating her. She knew these things and yet she found herself here, longing to be a part of it all again.

The empty building was answer enough for her hopes though, and with a sinking sense of devastation the girl left the Nabootique. The usually cheerful jingle of bells that sounded as she opened the door sounded empty as she made her way out onto the cold street. Her breath disappeared in a little white cloud as she felt hot tears sting her eyes, but she managed to keep them under control. She would never come back here, she decided. She never could if she would feel like this after, unwelcome and alone. This wasn't her home anymore and she had to accept that.

"Hey Molly? Molly that you? What're you doin' here? We all thought you went away!" A voice made her stop.

"Why don't you come inside? I mean that is unless you don't want to see us.." A second voice added to the first. "It'll be just like old times, unless you don't want to.."

Molly turned and took in the two men she had come to regard as her family. Vince, the wide eyed electro pixie who was much to kind for his own good and then Howard of course, the forever awkward jazz and stationary enthusiast with a flair for the outdoors.

"What's wrong?" Howard asked.

"Don't you like us anymore?" Vince bit his lip. "Come on inside its been forever.."

The girl couldn't control her tears anymore. The spilled over as she caught them both in an awkward double hug and sobbed into someone's shoulder, didn't matter whose as long as it belonged to one of them.

"I thought you'd hate me. I've been gone for so long, I thought you would never want to see me again and then I was thinking I didn't belong here and you wouldn't me around.." She cried.

Howard and Vince exchanged a look, to check that neither could understand the hysterical girl. The combination of her current state of emotional upheaval and her voice muffled into Howards tweed coat made whatever she had rushed to say impossible to understand.

"Uh, hey Moll, I'm not too sure what's got you so upset, but we're glad your back. Come inside and we'll get this sorted out yeah?" Vince pried her off the vice grip she'd connected herself to them with and looked her in the tear stained face. "There see? You look.. Well let's get your hair fixed up too alright? It'll be genius." He gave her a genuine, sunshiney smile and nudged Howard. "Right?"

The man nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Stop crying, we don't hate you or anything. We're just glad you're back." He smiled too, though his was slightly less filled with sunshine, which was to be expected.

Their answers sent Molly into a new fit of choking tears. "I.. Was .. So.. Worried you were going to hate me.." She sniffled.

Vince giggled and pulled her into a tight hug. "Let's get you some hot chocolate. You know we don't hate you."

Howard sighed as he pulled the door shut and locked it tight. "Now what's this all about?" He followed Vince and Molly up the stairs and things were just as they always had been. And the girl remembered then that even if you go away for a while, home will always welcome you back with open arms and your family will never ever turn their back on you.


End file.
